This Can't Be The End
by Gottabottleof0
Summary: Sookie's convinced she's living the life she was supposed to have with Alcide. But Sookie Stackhouse has never done what she was supposed to. What happens when she must re-think her values for survival? Will Sookie ever find the peace she needs? A take on what happens next after the season six finale. Rated M for adult themes/language.
1. Normal

It was blissfully pleasant to wake up with a man in the hours of daylight, warm, and able to see his chest rise and fall with deep breaths. I slipped a hand under my pillow and shimmied closer to his sleeping form, listening to his gruff sighs as he exhaled. I would always take a moment whenever I could when Alcide was sleeping to curl up beside him and watch him sleep. I'd never been able to do that before. Anyone I'd ever had the opportunity to sleep alongside had always remained dead literally, while asleep. But I was putting all that aside. I had something good going with Alcide and I didn't want to ruin it by always comparing it to what I was used to in the past.

But I couldn't help it.

I told myself time and time again to bury my past, move on. Enjoy what I had; my home, seeing as I had received the papers to say it was mine again, and especially my life. In the past year or so (which technically to everyone else I knew it was two years or more now where I'd disappeared to Faery plain,) I had been at the mercy of hungry and powerful vampires, werewolves, psychopathic exes, crazed makers, lying boyfriends, amnesiac Vikings, and seriously deranged faerie vampire hybrids. And now all I had to worry about was a few hepatitis V infected vamps? Well bring it on. I had a faerie supernova at my fingertips to defend myself with, something I was quite certain would fry anything allergic to the sun. As much as my past had been full of lies, deception, hurt and betrayal, I'd toughened up considerably and changed a heck of a lot from the sweet naive little girl I used to be.

It was ironic though how I had the wonderful talent of seeing everyone's deepest darkest thoughts, when I couldn't read the minds of those I needed to most. Vampires. Shifters and Weres were different, which I was partially glad about. The only problem was that half the time the colours and moods I detected from them were sometimes accompanied by a one liner, or a small thought that was legible. Usually all I could 'hear' from them was a colour, emotion or noise. But there were times when it was difficult, I couldn't lie to myself about that. For example, I could read Sam's mind as a complete mixture of noises and colours and it was like looking at a mindmap made by children with stickers and paint. Whereas Alcide being a werewolf who could only turn into one thing was more particular with his thought broadcasting. I could often hear sentences, or pictures, but sometimes I could sense smells, emotions from them. It was all very strange but then again, to another telepath, my mind would be one trainwreck that nobody should ever have to see. I zoned back into the literal world.

"Sookie," Alcide spoke much to my surprise with his eyes still closed. "You're watching me again." I smiled and basked in the wondrous smell of man beside me.

"I didn't mean to wake you, sorry" I said readjusting my position to get even closer to him and grab hold of more pillow to tuck under my head.

"Hmm, well you might just have to prove how sorry y'are." He said with one eye open now, a smile on his lips.

"Oh really?" I teased. I liked it when Alcide was playful. A lot of the time, he was. But a lot of the time, he was a very loud broadcaster.

"Yes. Really," He spoke sensually as he placed a large hand on my hipbone and pulled me flush against his own, seizing my mouth with his warm one snaking in his tongue. I reciprocated in kind and ran my free arm up his back to dig my nails into his extremely muscular shoulder.

"Mmm. Good morning to you too," I said happily. I was still getting used to this. Being with a living man, for one, but also the fact that said other wanted to be with me with no hidden agenda or secret. Alcide and I had reconnected in the two months after everything had happened. What with the vampire prison and Warlow incidents, I was just about ready to accept what Alcide was willing to offer me. A normal life.

"How 'bout we make it an even better morning?" Alcide suggested. His hand had never left my hip, and I was starting to feel it push me backwards to lie flat. Well I couldn't say no to sex. It was great, of course it was. I didn't know of anyone who would tell you otherwise. But I felt guilty of using it as my escape from life, the one time I could truly be happy and not give a damn about what was out there in the world after me.

"Oh I don't think you'll be getting the upper hand here mister," I warned him, pushing against his ever lowering hand and coming to kneel on top of him with my knees either side of his waist. I was getting a lovely view of Alcide's naked upper body, and I could only assume from the growing presence underneath me, that he was enjoying the view of me in all my naked glory too. I grinned to myself and leant into his shoulder to kiss his neck and whisper into his ear, "Well cowboy you better join me in the shower, or we'll be late for church." Which certainly got a reaction.

I was whisked along to the bathroom with my legs tightly entwined around Alcide's waist, mouth joined in passionate harmony with his, and for another half an hour we were joined like that until the water ran cold.


	2. Mayor Merlotte

**I know the seventh and final season premiers tonight, but I wanted to get another chapter up for you all to read.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

"I just can't believe all this! What Mayor Merlotte is suggestin'…Oh I'm sorry Sookie I know you like all those vampires and whatnot but it isn't right! I wouldn't catch my boy dead with one ever again." Maxine Fortenberry spurted out her apology after she saw me standing right behind her with Jason. Jason stood stiffly with his eyebrows raised but said nothing. I glanced sideways at him in support. I and might not want the company of any vampires after my past experiences but that didn't mean I'd turned into a bigot. I supported Jason's choice to be with Violet, after all, hadn't he done the same for me? Violet was certainly a questionable vampire and was big on the 'mine' thing, but she was tenacious about doing things for him that I didn't think vampires would. She cooked, and from what I understood, she was actually rather talented. Often when I was around the two of them I'd get images I'd really rather not have of my brother and his girlfriend. Again, it was his choice and he was my brother and I loved him.

I watched Jason dip his head and head off in the direction of Andy, Adilyn and Holly. I knew it upset Jason to have lost Hoyt's friendship. He'd never replaced him. These days Jason was too busy being a cop by day and boyfriend by night. He'd been a brother too, when it came down to it. But I was just as guilty for not being a sister to him in the past.

"People have to make all kinds of choices for the ones they love Ms Fortenberry," I said by way of diffusing the argument that could have happened if I'd let Maxine continue. "And besides you can bet your ass it wasn't Sam's idea in the first place…" I retorted. Maxine looked at me as if I'd thrown cheesecake in her face. Ms Fortenberry wasn't one for derogatory language as much as the next churchgoer in Bon Temps, but I wasn't out to please, I was there to support my long time friend Sam. His girlfriend Nicole was about six months pregnant and whatever possessed Sam to stay here and settle down I have no idea, either way I was all for Sam leading a happy life and I respected him enough to see what he had agreed to do was only in the best intentions of his future child and townspeople's interests.

I left Maxine to discuss the finer points of having a living breathing man as a suitor over a dead man with another woman her age who I didn't recognize. What Maxine did not know about my living breathing man was that he turned into a living breathing werewolf.

Insults were something I had been much accustomed to when I had first starting dating Bill. I smiled to myself that he would have had this meeting arranged to be in the day where he wouldn't be able to attend, so as to avoid backlash. Or maybe he was smart. Bill was a lot of things, but right now, I wasn't sure what I wanted to think of him. But he sure had a lot of the town talking.

"Sookie are you okay with all this? We don't have to be here." Alcide said, holding onto my hand gently with a concerned look on his face.

"If I'm honest with you Alcide, I'm fine. It was a bit of a shock to hear Sam endorse this whole blood for protection idea. And I'm not going anywhere. I'm here to support Sam, folk can talk if they like." After all, it wasn't Sam's fault there were crazed rabid vampires running around.

I eyed Sam chatting and shaking hands with a gaggle of people who seemed to support his decision.

_**Just wait until it starts a bloodbath..**_

_**Can't believe such a nice man Mr Merlotte is, giving his bar to that wreck of a woman, two kids by no man she's seein' now…boyfriend was a serial killer and husband was a psycho.**_

_**That Sookie Stackhouse landed herself a big ol' handsome man… Sure is a shame that nice girl prefers dead folk.**_

In case you were wondering, I don't prefer dead folk. It just so happened that my first boyfriend was technically dead. And a liar, a possessive one at that. God only knows what else. But moving on. It really is wonderful to hear people's thoughts sometimes. I was used to it, as I've said. Nice to see people never change in this town.

Alcide had just put his arm around my shoulder by way of affection and showing his support. He gave me an extra squeeze as he noticed the small scowl I shot the owner of the last thought I'd read. Alcide had gotten used to me mind reading people. If I was tired, or on my last legs in the bar before he picked me up on the odd occasion I'd let it all out so to speak and just let the walls come down. Usually one or two bits filtered out in the morning, and while he was in the shower I'd come down and make exactly what he wanted, down to the way he saw it on the plate. Most days it was alright.

For him.

"Listen, Alcide I'm going to head over and chat to Sam a while. Meet you in the car?" I smiled as sweetly as I could without murdering.

"Sure babe. Take as long as you want." He smiled at me, he trusted me with Sam. The two of them seemed to have settled the differences that lingered between them, again I wasn't going to pry. Alcide hadn't heard half of my dark secrets and to be honest we didn't need our relationships laced with my mistakes and past, and I wasn't interested in prying in his. Alcide turned around and strode back to his car with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey Sam," I beamed, giving my old boss a peck on the cheek. He held my hands like old friends do, and I his. His eyes beamed at me, the kind that stare right into your soul and warm you from the inside out. Sam had always looked out for me from day one. He was probably the only man I knew now that respected me and liked me without wanting to sleep with me.

"Hey Sook! I saw you in the crowd, thank you so much for coming cher, how are you?"

"Good, actually." I said honestly. Now Sam wasn't my boss and Arlene was, we rarely got time to see each other what with Nicole's pregnancy and his being elected mayor. He popped in to help Arlene with the books every once a month and that was when I'd see him. "How's Nicole?"

"She's…amazing. She appreciates me and respects me for what I am. She understands the baby might be, uh, two natured and of course we'll love it all the same if it is or isn't. She really does make me happy."

"That's great to hear Sam," I replied. "You know you really deserve it."

"Well a while back I could've sworn we coulda made it big time Sookie," He admitted.

I looked down. Yes at one point I fancied my boss a little bit, I may have even fantasised about him a little bit in the first few years of working with him too. Not that I ever saw it going anywhere or anything. He had felt the same for me not so long ago but our lives took us in different directions because of who and what we were, although I'd never lost the genuine irreplaceable friendship that I had with Sam.

"Yeah. Now look at us. I'm dating a werewolf and you're going to be a dad!" I exclaimed, touching his arm.

Sam smiled and his eyes lit up for a while until a thought crept over him. Sam being the most in tune with my feelings tried to shroud the thought with clouds in his mind so I couldn't receive them. There was something plaguing him. I felt a wash of colours and a negativity in there, a doubt of some kind.

_**Told me to keep it to myself…**_

…_**damn Compton**_

_**She's gonna find out**_

_**Think about something think about nothing something nothing something ah!**_

"Sam," I said firmly, hands on hips. I wasn't going to make Sam suffer his silence. "What are you hiding from me?"

"Ah. Sookie, I promised…"

"Sam, how long have I known you?

"I didn't want to have to bring it up, but I can't lie to you. This ain't right pretending to you. So I should tell you that this was all Bill's idea. He wanted to protect folk and we've damn near exhausted any other possible way…When he came to me and said about this I thought he was joking. Two long nights of talking and well, here we are. Told him it was best that we made it seem like my idea. I hope you're not angry with me cher?" Sam's golden eyebrows dipped down to contort into a frown and he reached to place a hand on my arm. So it really was all Bill's idea. Figures.

"No Sam I'm not angry." I sighed. Well that could have been worse.

"Not even at him?"

"No." I shook my head weakly. I just _was not surprised._

"You're really not angry with Bill?" Sam asked in awe.

"No, not for this at least." I tilted my head and raised my eyebrows, and turned to look away from Sam. I didn't know how much he'd been told about Bill's recon mission to save me from Warlow. Again though, was I surprised he spun his two heads round to Mr Nice Guy again? I could never fully trust him, he was always jumping from one thing to another. "What I'm saying is, I get it." I admitted finally. I might not like it, but I didn't have to participate.

"Something happened between you two didn't it? Arlene said she saw him with her own eyes in the daylight those few months back?" Sam edged closer to me with a hushed voice.

"Sam, if that's all you've heard then that's all you need to know. As far as Bill's concerned, I'm just... his neighbour." I shrugged, at loss for what other word to call him. We weren't friends. We weren't enemies. I just couldn't label him an ex. It ran too deep to call it a casual 'has been.' It hurt too much thinking about it. I didn't want even want to go into the whole Warlow scenario and have Sam have to hear that once more a seemingly decent person had turned out to be a total asshole. I think out of anything, it was lying that hurt me the most. And the disappointment. I was almost past feeling the pain.

"Sook-" Sam started, with a worried look on his face.

"Anyway, I'll see you tonight at the party?" I faked a big smile to make sure Sam knew I was fine, and to cut him off prying. I didn't want to have to tell Sam what happened. I really couldn't.

"Well it's your business, but I'm here if you need someone, alright?" Sam was a wonderful listener. But it wasn't fair to laden him up with things that couldn't be changed and problems that would never be fixed. "And thanks so much, I've already had so many folk in uproar over this, your face would be appreciated among the crowd, Sook." I smiled wide and hugged him, squeezing him tightly. "Now next time don't wait so long to show your face y'hear cher? That's a direct order form the mayor of this fine town." Sam joked while still holding me.

"You got it Boss." I teased.

We hugged and I left Sam inside while I headed toward the parking lot.

"Hey Sookie," Arlene said in passing, ushering her kids out of the church. I made a mental note to appear more upbeat to others and stop dwelling on everything. Arlene could do it and her husband had died. I paced outside slowly with a heavy mind. Standing in the afternoon sun I closed my eyes. It was really quite a beautiful day. I couldn't imagine never seeing the sun again. I was just itching to get home and bake in it like I used to. I used to do a lot of things that I don't any more. I was an entirely different person, hardened by my experiences. I had loved, lost and mourned but I'd also lied, deceived and killed. My Gran would hardly recognise me now.

Outside in the parking lot I pulled the silly hat off of my head and let my hair fly loose in the breeze, unbuttoning my dress a few notches so I could breathe. I unbuckled the sandals I'd found at the back of my closet and trod out onto the paved surface to Alcide's truck.

"I didn't think nice girls dressed like that in church." He said coyly, running his brown eyes up and down my figure as I entered the passenger seat. He pulled me into a deep kiss with one hand cupping my head and the other clutching my leg and squeezing as he continued the kiss.

"Who said I was a nice girl?" I said in a joking manner.

But I wasn't joking, I was serious.


End file.
